Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Two weeks ago I hit 200 entries for the Magical Society Guide to Place Names and I just penned the 300th. Progress is coming along nicely and I'm starting to get the itch to get on with the synthesis/writing part of the work and out of the data collection part. However, that'll have to wait as I'm only a little more than half done with all of the various place names in the scope of the work. Adding new words has slowed down some, so I'd be surprised if I hit 600 entries. 500 entries will probably be where I end up and that should be plenty to make a nice useful list for a GM's campaign world.

...and now I'm thinking perhaps A Magical Medieval Society: Guide to Place Names should be the published title. I am only focusing on a relatively short time period and location, after all. I'll have to think about it.

...and now I'm thinking that I could turn this into a new chapter for a 3rd Edition of Western Europe like I did with the warfare chapter for the 2nd edition. It's been 7 or 8 years since the 2nd edition, so that may not be a bad idea either.

...and now you're thinking that I don't know what I'm going to really do with this and you'd be right. :-)

This
spell creates a semi-real phantasm of any of the caster’s spellbooks. The
phastasm glows with a soft light (equal to three candles) and allows the caster
to memorize any spells contained within the real book. The shadow spellbook has
1 hp. The illusionist Dameon created this spell after yet another imprisonment

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Ring of Long Eyes: If worn continuously for more than a week, this ring triples the wearer’s normal sight. Once acclimatized, the wearer suffers dizziness and nausea for 6 hours after removing the ring. Experience Point Value: 1,000 G.P. Value: 5,000

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Ring of Ringmastery: This ring informs the wielder of any magic rings within 100 ft. The wielder can tap into the power of rings in that area, gaining their ability for his own. Additionally, the wielder can try paralyze (2-5 rounds) the bearer of any magical ring within 100 ft. if the target fails a save. The ring can only paralyze once per day per magic ring. Experience Point Value: 1,000 G.P. Value: 5,000

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Work continues apace on the upcoming Magical Society guide to naming places. I'm up to 200 entries on the root table, and am guessing that I'm about 1/3 done for the list. Once I've created the list, I can then dive into construction notes, how a campaign history should influence place names, and other various and sundry issues surrounding the naming of places.

I'm totally up in the air about how many pages the final work will have. Right now it's what I call a bikini work - a work that's going to be only as big as it needs to be to cover the subject.

Friday, December 12, 2014

As a heads-up to the creative folks who follow/read what I babble about, I need to remember next year to prepare some promotional products (bookmarks, postcards, maybe even a calendar or poster, and some more business cards as it appears I've run out) and have them ready to print during the Black Friday sales season. I've seen quick-print rates drop 75%.

Note to Self - be ready next year. If you've printing needs as well, you might want to be ready too.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Finally got my 5th Edition set (I waited to get all of the books at once) and it turns out that A Magical Medieval Society: Western Europe is listed in Appendix D of the Dungeon Master's Guide as inspirational reading.

It's not much, but it brightened my day, and that's always worth something.

Monday, December 8, 2014

This is my first additive magic item - a term I'm using to describe a magic item that you add to another magic item for new/more power.

Staff Sphere: This small crystal sphere magically attaches or detaches from any magical staff at will. The bearer can cause the sphere to glow like a torch whenever desired and the glow takes a bluish tinge when facing north. Additionally, the bearer can use the staff sphere’s charges to charge the staff. When found a staff sphere has 2d6+2 charges. If emptied of all charges, the sphere cracks, falls to the ground, and shatters. Experience Point Value: 600 G. P. Value: 5,000

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Just finished the 100th entry in the forthcoming A Magical Society Guide to Place Names! This PDF-only work (probably) will explore the history of place naming in the UK. It will have a massive list of origins (such as how "pool" turns up in place names as Pul-, -mere, -more, -pool, or -pol), a random generation system, and some words on how a GM can turn the list into a guide on any of his campaign languages, providing a solid and consistent method of place naming.

I don't know when I'll be done (I'm slowly knocking it out, and it should be in mid 2015), but I think it's going to be tremendously useful for a world-building GM, or writers of fantasy novels.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Spider Shurikens: If this +1 shuriken hits its target, it transforms into a large spider that engages only the target in melee. If killed (or after 10 rounds pass), the spider transforms back into a spider shuriken. Nothing happens on a miss. Experience Point Value: 200 G. P. Value: 1,000

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Like many businesses in today's modern age, Expeditious Retreat Press will be open on Thanksgiving Day. To celebrate working on what was once a former holiday, we've raised prices on our PDF products by 100%! for the next 36 hours. So drop by and pick up some of our rpg-gaming goodies instead of spending time with your loved ones.

Sword of the Asp: This +2 sword may turn into deadly asp 3 times a day for 5 rounds. While transformed the tail of the asp wraps around the wrist of its bearer and any successful attack roll kills unless the target saves vs. poison. There is a 10% chance a sword of the asp is cursed, whereupon the asp immediately attacks the bearer (as a 2 HD monster)for 5 rounds before turning back into a sword. Experience Point Value: 1,400 G. P. Value: 7,000

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Here's a nice little magic item to spice up an encounter or provide a bit more umph to an animated dead servant...

Bone Bracelet of Undead Invisibility: This bone bracelet provides improved invisibly to any non-intelligent undead when worn. The effect temporarily ends if the wearer is turned (for the duration of the turn), but only permanently ends if the wearer is killed/destroyed. Experience Point Value: 300 G. P. Value: 1,250

About 8 years ago I did a small hardcover print run of MMS:WE 2nd edition. If you weren't lucky enough to grab a copy (which sold out pretty quickly) you've only had the digital version or the softcover version to purchase since then.

Now, however, Lulu's massive 50% off hardcover sale (coupon code HC50) has convinced me to put up MMS:WE (2nd Edition) at Lulu as a hardcover. So for today and tomorrow you'll be able to pick it up for only $25 (regular price $50).

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Just put together the cover for AA#32: The Palace Beyond and I'm happy to see another title in the series. This next one should be out in February, 2015. As always, I'm looking for AA manuscripts, so send me an e-mail at josephbrowning@gmail.com if you've an idea or a manuscript.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Heya folks, I've been silent for a while (heavily working on the as-yet-unannounced-OSR project), but I want you to know that we've another product (A Magical Society: Beast Builder) in the most-recent Bundle of Holding. If you haven't checked out the Bundles of Holding, it's a really cool concept.

So go take a gander and see if there's something there that piques your world building interest (I think that's probable), and don't forget that some of the proceeds are going to Doctors without Borders and World Bicycle Relief - both worthy causes, IMO.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Little magic item I thought of yesterday while waiting in a Dr.'s Office.

Spice of Boredom: This bland spice causes a particular boredom in any that eat it. If a save vs. magic is failed, the eater loses interest in pursuing whatever is most gripping at the moment. Spice of boredom is also known as spice of peace, as it has ended many wars, or as the spice of fidelity, for obvious reasons. The spice’s effect lasts for as many years as the save vs. magic failed. Experience Point Value: 100 G. P. Value: 750

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Silencer of Dragons: This +1 sword is +3 against dragons and deals double damage against them. Additionally, any dragon hit must save vs. magic or be unable to speak or use breath weapons for 2d6 rounds. Experience Point Value: 1.000 G. P. Value: 5,000.

Friday, September 12, 2014

Lulu's running a 20% coupon code SHOP20 until the 17th of this month. So I decided to knock another 20% off the Advanced Adventures Compendiums for a total of 40% off. Good time to buy if you're interested.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Arrow of Skeletons: This arrow has a tooth where its head should be. When launched against any hard surface (wall, shield, armor, etc.) the tooth shatters into 1d6+3 fragments within a 40’radius. The next round, the tooth fragments transform into skeletons which attack the following round. The skeletons are not under the control of their creator. Experience Point Value: 100 G. P. Value: 450.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Ring of Grand Wizardry: This ring allows a Magic User to memorize spells of a higher level than normal. For example, a 3rd-level Magic User (2-1st / 1- 2nd ) with a +2 Ring of Grand Wizardry could memorize (0-1st /1-2nd /2-3rd) or (2-1st /0-2nd /0-3rd /1-4th) as the ring increases one spell level of his casting ability by 2 levels, thusly turning 1st level spell slots into 3rd level spell slots or 2nd level spell slots into 4th level spell slots. Only one level of spells can be increased with a Ring of Grand Wizardry, except in the case of the +1/+2 Ring.

Monday, August 11, 2014

To celebrate our first shared sickness since Suzi became a Nurse Practitioner, I've decided to share our Plague with my happy readers. So I've put Plague up for sale for just a buck. It's a 4e products, but there's plenty of good stuff in there for anyone, especially for just a buck.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

The Goremont Grim is an ancient portal between dimensions, universes, and planes. In the beginning, when the first split of reality occurred, the Grim facilitated travel between the two new realities. When reality split again, the Grim expanded, and at each successive split the Grim exponentially grew larger and more complex. After millennia, the Grim itself became a reality of its own: the reality with links to all of the other dimensions.

As travelers walked the Grim Path their consciousness imprinted upon the new reality. The travellers’ multitudinous concepts of the underworld, of nightmares, and of dungeons stayed behind and expanded the Grim. It is these ideas that twisted the passages of the Grim from the straight and direct ways is bore for millennia into the never-ending maze that is the Goremont Grim today. Without the Walkers, the Grim would be staid, safe, boring.

After the twisting, the Grim itself gained sentience (of a sorts) and educated itself upon the consciousness of those what walked within. It can now plan, think, create and is worshiped as a god in hundreds of worlds.

The goal of the Grim, or even if it has one, is unknown. Some speculate that it now seeks dominion over the multiverse, others that it merely seeks death from a senseless and eternal existence.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

As some of you know, Suzi and I have recently purchased a new house and, after paying for a new roof, we've decided to go whole-hog and remodel/refresh the interior - paint, flooring, countertops, toilets, appliances, etc... This means I need lots 'o money. You have money, so let's work something out. :-)

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

I consider myself decently versed in geological terms, but pingos are something that I'd never heard about until today. Quite interesting and something that I should add into an adventure occurring in the far north.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

I've just put AA#21: The Obsidian Sands of Sycrates up at OBS as a Pay What you Want PDF. I thought I should test out this new method of commerce and see how it turns out. It's for 6-10 players of 4-7 level.

The Obsidian Sands of Sycrates is our worst selling Advanced Adventure. Which is doubly annoying for me, as I'm the author (and yeah, the ego really loves being my own worst-seller, hah!) and the guy who organized it to be ran as a three table tournament module at Gen Con 2011 - where a lot of fun was had at three tables with 10 players each. IMO, it's a really good module that I think has just been overlooked because of its subject matter and tournament history. It has 10 pre-gens, a scoring system, and should be able to be played (by a well-organized group) in a single 4 hour period. Not so well-organized groups should be able to do it in a maximum of 8 hours, I'd guess.

Bryce Lynch has a good review of the mod over at tenfootpole, you can read over that if you'd like. Warning: there's a bit of a spoiler in the last paragraph, but if you're planning to run the mod that's not an issue.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

So here's my decision to try and improve my online social experience.
I'm going to relate to everyone in a sincere, kind, and conscientious
manner from here on out. If I find myself undesirous to relate to
someone in that manner (because I'd rather just verbally smack at them),
they'll get uncircled and/or blocked (after I've felt that need several
times).

If any of you find me being a jerk online from here on
out, please just point it out to me and remind me that I want to be
better than that. My e-mail is josephbrowning@gmail.com﻿

I've just gotten out of good conservation with someone that I disagree with and am enjoying this feeling of having a conversation with differing opinions without the desire to smack the other person. I'm going to aim for that experience in my online social world. I'm done with the the other.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

We're having a big "Can't be at Paizo Con" sale over at Paizo's webstore. All of our PDF products are 50% off. The sale runs through July 8th, so if you're interested in any of our PDFs, it's a pretty good time to pick some up.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Been a while since I made a general call for manuscripts. I'm looking for OSRIC modules for our Advanced Adventures line and for Pathfinder adventures for our 1-on-1 Adventures line. Both have a word limit of 12k (can be bumped up to 16k if necessary) and pay $0.01 per word upon acceptance of the manuscript. OSRIC is for a full-sized OSR group (6-10 players) while 1-on-1 is for only a single player and a GM.

If you've never published anything before, don't worry, I honestly believe every long-term GM has at least one good publishable adventure within them and I'm glad to help bring them to the public. Our hobby should be a shared hobby.

If you want to pitch me an idea, email me at josephbrowning@gmail.com.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

The sale's gone smashingly and I've managed to knock out almost 2 boxes of books that I won't ever have to move again. Thanks!

I'm down to only 4 copies of MMS:WE 2nd Edition that are available at the $5 sale price. I'm keeping back 5 to have them in stock for a while, but those will be at full price. So if you're interested, now's the time.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Suzi and I are moving shortly and I don't want to move a box of MMS:WE 2nd editions. This results in me putting the award-winning book up for sale for only $5 at the XRP website. Yeah, a 192-page softcover book for only $5.

Buy a copy. Buy several copies. Please help me not move the box of books again!

Monday, April 7, 2014

Classified and Operation Rogue Lion are now available as PDFs at rpgnow. It's been a very long road on these two with some bumpy patches along the way (Operation Rogue Lion in particular turned out to be more than I'd expected), but I'm very pleased to finally see these two out in the public arena.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Just put the bookmarks on the PDF version of Operation Rogue Lion. It'll be coming out soon in PDF and I'll get the Lulu print version ready as well. Glad to have both of these done and finally able to get out and onto tables.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Finally! Just wrote the last paragraph and keyed the last map. Now I let is sit for a week and revisit it for the first round of editing. It's turned out to be 64 pages, so I've created about 190 pages (in total) for Classified. It (and the core rules) will be out in May. Only thing left to do is write the marketing blurb on the back cover.... :-)

Saturday, March 22, 2014

I've been absent for a while because life's gotten in the way of business. Suzi's almost done with her schooling (getting her Masters in Nursing) and is just about a Nurse Practitioner now. She's snagged a job offer and just signed a contract, so she got a job lined up. We've been house hunting and finally found one, put an offer down, had it accepted, and are now in the oh-so-fun loan process (which is being annoying since our income's taken a hit with her being in school full time and without us able to count her job-contracted salary as income).

So I've not been as productive as I should have been recently and it's not going to change for at least a week, as next week's Gary Con. To which I'm going only as a fan and leaving my publisher hat at home. This Con is going to just be about having fun and gaming.

Advanced Adventures #31: The Lost Lair of Drecallis is an OSRIC(tm) module designed for 4-8 adventurers of levels 4-7. For a second year in a row, Drecallis has not appeared on the appointed day to collect her tribute from the people of Longridge. Is the terrible beast dead? Or has the great reptile departed for greener pastures? The elders are desperate to discover the truth, and if the dragon is indeed dead, a priceless hoard may be sitting in the dragon's lair, unguarded. A call has been put out for brave souls willing to seek out the remote lair of Drecallis and investigate!

1 on 1 Adventures #16: The Lost City of Bransik is designed for a Rogue, level 6-8, powered by Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. A reclusive mage desires to recover the spellbook of the powerful wizard, Herinack Dersuni. The mage’s library/workshop was in the Lost City of Bransik which was swallowed up in an earthquake centuries ago. Offering a handsome reward, plus spoils from the recovery operation, you must find this lost city, descend into its ruins and find the library and its precious spellbook. Do you have the skills to survive in a dead and deserted city?

Monday, February 24, 2014

Thought I should let everyone know that not only is Classified (and the PDF version) up at Lulu, I've also put AA Compendium Three up for sale. I've decided to extend the "on sale" date to March 5th so they'll all be available on GMs day. Lulu's also running a 25% off coupon (GETIT25) so you can get 25% off all of them.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

So I've got gotten another in a series of requests to sell the Classified core rules earlier than the May, 2014 release date and I've finally surrendered to the will of the people. So those of you who are dying to get your hands on the rules, can grab Classified at Lulu until March 1st, 2014. The PDF version is also available.

Operation Rogue Lion still isn't in publishable form and won't be available until May, 2014.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Done with 90% of the layout of Operation Rogue Lion and commissioned the majority of the art. Looks like it's coming in at around 60 pages. Bigger than I expected. Now I can sit on it for a while and wait for the art to come in and then finish the layout and that'll be all for the first Classified mission.

Friday, February 14, 2014

I don't have fears about being good at being creative.
I'm don't feel like I'm an imposter at being creative.
I don't worry about my creative abilities.
People either like, don't like, or are indifferent to what I do creatively.
I don't engage emotionally with others' opinions of my creative work.I emotionally engage with my creations.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Undead
Chicken:
This skeletal chicken behaves like a living chicken. Once per week it lays an
egg. Inside the egg is a tiny undead creature that expands to normal size and completely
obeys whoever frees it from its miniaturized captivity. The contents of each
egg are randomly determined on the below chart. 10% of undead chickens have no
limit on the number of “progeny” it can produce: all others can only have 1d4
progeny active at any one time. When the limit is exceeded, the oldest undead
turns to dust.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Pleased to say I've done the last bit of writing on the mission-side of Operation Rogue Lion. I still need to do some maps and city write-ups, but the mission itself is completed. Now, on to the first round of editing!

Monday, January 27, 2014

I've only got three more rooms and the mission wrap up to go before I can put Operation Rogue Lion into the next phase of publication. It's looking like it'll be something close to 30-35k words long, longer than expected, but this is probably a good thing for an introductory mission.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

My wife (Suzi) has been studying to become a Nurse Practitioner for about the past 4 years and she's about 4 months from graduating. Day before yesterday she got a call about a potential job interview yesterday at our old Ohio small town of Coshocton. So we drove out there and she had the interview and they want to see her again in the next few weeks (this time with the head of clinic, and with a tour of the clinic, and with discussion regarding contracts). So it looks like she's going to get a job offer to this old hiring manager (ie. you don't waste your time doing a tour with a potential hire unless you plan to make an offer). I could be wrong, but I would be surprised if that was so.

The clinic is a federally qualified health center, meaning it can qualify for enhanced reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid, as
well as other benefits. FQHCs must serve an underserved area or
population, offer a sliding fee scale, provide comprehensive services,
have an ongoing quality assurance program, and have a governing board of
directors. This is what she really wants to do and we'd really like for it to come together.

So wish us luck, and sorry for not getting much done on Operation Rogue Lion yesterday!

Monday, January 20, 2014

I'm happy to say that I'm down to the final location in Operation Rogue Lion. If all goes according to plan, I probably have less than 4k more words to go before doing all the clean-up work needed to start laying the bugger out. Glad to be nearing the end and I'm hoping that the mission lives up to expectations.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Another magic item. Dunno when they'll stop popping into my head, but until then I'll share...

Trueblade: Trueblades
come into existence in the hands of sole-survivors: the blade turned magical
through the forge of battle. Trueblades are +1 blades (any edged weapon can be
a trueblade) that guarantee a single hit once per combat. The bearer needs only to declare the ability
to successfully hit.Experience Point Value: 800 G. P. Value: 4,000.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Right now I've got about 2.5 locations to do before the mission is basically done. After those locations, the rest is dealing with bits and bobs (statting up new weapons/equipment, detailing the city maps with hotels and restaurants, providing a bit more information regarding background, tec.) that should come pretty quickly.

Once that's done, I'll run into layout and get the rough plan going enough to commission art based upon where the text needs support or where the layout's being a bitch and needs some correction.

All in all, not too bad. I may not be done by the end of the month like I hoped, but I'm pretty certain if not, I'll be done by the end of the 1st week in Feb.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Two-handed
Staff:
This staff +1 has an iron fist at each end. Upon command, the top fist flies
out, allowing the wielder to attack creatures up to 60 feet away. Upon a second
command, the top fist flies out and attaches itself to a non-living object not
worn or carried by a living creature. A third command opens the bottom fist,
creating a foot-hold, and then levitates
the staff to join with the first fist attached to a non-living object. In this
manner, the wielder of a two-headed staff
can easily step onto the second fist and enjoy transportation to the first. The
staff can carry up to 400 lbs. Experience
Point Value: 1,500 G. P. Value:
9,000.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Cloak of the
Land:
When thrown upon the ground, this brown cloak’s folds make a roughly-accurate topographical
map (20 miles square centered on the owner) of the nearby area. The cloak even changes colors to
indicate water, trees, etc. A cloak of
the land does not work underground. Experience
Point Value: 2,500 G. P. Value:
15,000.